


Reflections on Illyan

by Ecarden



Series: Mutants and Mutants [7]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold, X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, reflections
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-27 21:21:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30129027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ecarden/pseuds/Ecarden
Summary: Illyan gave a press conference. What does everyone else think about that?
Series: Mutants and Mutants [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172486
Kudos: 10





	Reflections on Illyan

**Author's Note:**

> Short one this time...

“What the fuck?” Wolverine asked, watching the news coverage of Illyan’s press conference, again from a position sprawled out across a couch. “I thought you said he was on our side.”

“No, I said he wanted to protect Diana,” Storm responded from where she leaned against the door.

“And killing a mutant is the way to do that?” Cyclops asked dubiously.

“Secured his position with the MRD,” Beast noted. “He’ll be their poster boy by the end of the week. Professional, efficient, ruthless. Just what every good fascist imagines themselves to be.”

“I don’t know. You caught how he kept using the man’s name while they were all calling him ‘mutant.’” Storm argued.

“And there was that little bit about test results being private information…and how the _MRD_ should handle mutants, with the implication that mob violence was not how to handle it,” Beast admitted. “But I’m don’t think that makes it better.”

“Competence is no virtue in service of evil,” Professor X added.

“There’s nothing to be done about this right now. The question is, do we let it go out to the students, or censor it?” Cyclops cut in.

“Let it go out. Better for Diana not to be taken by surprise. But keep an eye on her, she may feel guilty about bringing him here.” Professor X concluded.

The other teachers nodded. Jean muttered something.

“What was that?” Professor X asked.

She glanced back and forth between Cyclops and Wolverine. “Just wondering if that mutant would still be alive if we’d put the man down after he attacked Beast.”

“Probably, given the incompetence of the MRD. Of course, then he’d still be running around raping and murdering,” Storm answered.

“Assuming you believe that little report of his.”

“I’m inclined to. He did defend Diana and her family and if he has to work for the MRD, targeting the monsters is a good way to do it without moral difficulty.”

Jean shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“You never do with people whose minds you can’t read, sister.”

Jean frowned, then shrugged. “True enough. And you’re right, Cy, there’s nothing to be done about this. Yet.”

* * *

Mystique stood in the back of the small group of Purifiers who were operating out of the abandoned warehouse. This group was operational, rather than merely meeting up to chat about how much they hated mutants. But right now, they were sitting around, watching the ridiculous show the MRD was putting on in Seattle.

The poison she’d fed them would take a few hours to kill this gang. She’d been hoping to follow them up the chain to their commanders and users, but they’d somehow heard about a local mutant in hiding and were planning to ‘pay him a visit’ when it got dark. So now they had to die, before she got the information she needed.

Annoying. As was their blather. They appeared fairly evenly divided between those who were pleased that the MRD had killed a mutant and annoyance at the demand that security be left to them. Mystique couldn’t bring herself to care. The MRD imported skilled people all the time, the organization’s structure ate them.

* * *

Director Stryker was having a long day. He almost always did. Running the MRD kept him running all over the place and constantly hustling to keep the MRD functioning.

His cell phone was usually used for texts, or emails. There were only thirty people who had the number and they were supposed to know to only use it for very urgent matters. Therefore, he wasn’t real thrilled to have his brief daily exercise time interrupted. Something had gone horribly wrong somewhere.

It was Paul Claremont, the regional commander of the Seattle region. It took him a moment to remember that he’d sent the mutant kidnappee’s team out to that region. He had a momentary hope that Paul was going to report that they’d acquired the man’s tech. When the man insisted he switch over to CNN, Stryker almost said something unkind.

But Paul was loyal, even if he was a bit of a blunt instrument. Snapping at him wouldn’t help. He turned the screen from music over to CNN. It took him a longer moment to recognize that the MRD agent being interviewed was Illyan. He had never met the man and his ID picture did a quite bad job of capturing the focused blandness of the agent.

They watched together, though Paul kept interrupting with his own comments. He’d clearly seen it before, which meant that CNN was treating it as worthy of more extended discussion and repeated viewings. He could see why. It was short and MRD agents did _not_ go on the record. Public Affairs put out a press release when they had decided what should have happened and determined what could be proven.

“He overstepped,” Stryker agreed, calmly.

“Overstepped? Sir, this is ridiculous. I don’t know how I’m supposed to maintain control if this guy is just allowed to run around doing whatever he wants.”

“Paul, I think you may be confused. He’s assigned to you. Don’t try to steal his tech, but otherwise he’s just one of your team leads. Handle it how you would if any of them decided to go talk to the press.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome. Anything else?”

“No, sir.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments always welcome.


End file.
